


Finding Santa

by Huffleporg



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan Secret Santa, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eleven years in the future, F/M, finding santa, secret santa gift, swan jones family fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 06:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9060007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huffleporg/pseuds/Huffleporg
Summary: Killian and Emma's daughter is convinced that Santa lives in Storybrooke, and she's determined to find him and ask him for a special gift this year.
CSSS 16 gift for Owlways_and_Forever.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [owlways_and_forever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlways_and_forever/gifts).



> The following fic is a gift for Owlways_and_Forever, who was my giftee for the 2016 Captain Swan Secret Santa exchange. I hope you enjoy the fic!

**Ten Days Before Christmas**

 

“If you think about it,” Rose said as she picked up a duck ornament and hung it on the Christmas tree, “it just makes sense! Everyone in the stories of this world are real, and a lot are in Storybrooke, so Santa’s probably here in Storybrooke!” Her green eyes shined with the reflected colorful lights of the tree, but there was something more there - an excitement only a five-year-old could have about Christmas. 

“I suppose you’re right,” said Emma with a small grin. She glanced over to her husband.

Killian nodded in agreement. “Definitely sound logic.” He hadn’t heard about Christmas until he had arrived in Storybrooke. The Enchanted Forest had tended towards other winter-time festivities. It was a nice enough holiday, and he hadn’t minded adopting it into his calendar. He also hadn’t minded pretending that there was a mythical red-clad man who broke into homes to deliver presents. Emma said it was a tradition she had missed out on, and she wanted to give it a try with her own family. Killian had happily obliged and even enjoyed the strange movies Emma had shown him so he could understand the tradition.  

“Gideon says Santa isn’t real,” interrupted Odette as she untangled a garland. “He says it’s actually--”

“Gideon likes to tell stories,” said Emma quickly. 

“He’s usually right about these things,” insisted Odette.

Killian let out a soft sigh and shook his head. While he had put all that Gideon had done in the past eleven years ago when Rumplestiltskin had magically unaged his son, turning him back into a newborn and erasing all memories of the time spent in The Dark Realm with his grandmother, sometimes Killian couldn’t stop himself from remembering that Gideon had in a past life of sorts almost killed Emma. Most of the time, however, Killian just saw Gideon for the sweet, book-loving child he was who had cried when he had realized his mother wouldn’t be with him during the day at Kindergarten. 

“I think Gideon is just trying to be a grinch,” said Killian, remembering the story about the green monster who had tried to steal Christmas, only to wind up being overcome with Christmas spirit. The first part of the story had reminded him of the Crocodile.

Rose didn’t seem to be phased by her older sister’s skepticism. “So, I’m going to find him and ask him for…” She stopped and grinned.

“Ask him for what?” asked Emma, once again trying to figure out what her daughter’s biggest Christmas wish was. 

Shaking her head, Rose said, “If you say it, it won’t come true!”

Odette let out a laugh. “That’s for birthday wishes! Everybody knows that!” 

As the afternoon went on, it became clear that Rose wasn’t interested in budging on either regard: she was going to find Santa and she was only going to tell him her wish. While the first was only a source of amusement for Emma and Killian, the second had been something that had been bothering them for a couple weeks. Without knowing what their youngest wanted, they had no way of making sure that she had something that would make her happy waiting for her under the Christmas tree.

  


**Six Days Before Christmas**

  


Rose hadn’t even taken off her snowy boots before she opened up her backpack and pulled out a camera with a worn strap on it. “I think I might have found him,” she said proudly, running into the kitchen, Odette trailing not too far behind with an amused smirk on her face.

“Found who?” asked Emma as she sprinkled the cinnamon over four mugs of hot chocolate with a swirl of whipped cream on top.

“Santa!” announced Rose, dragging her chair out from the table. She set the camera on the table and pressed the power button before hopping up into her chair.

Killian lifted the strap with his hook and said, “Does Henry know you borrowed his camera?”

Without any sign of worry, Rose said, “He says I can borrow anything he left in his room. And this camera still works!”

“Technology from the eighties still works in Storybrooke,” mumbled Emma.

Rose paid no mind to the comments and instead expertly pressed buttons until she found what she was looking for. “We went to the park and to Granny’s after school before going to the library,” she continued. “And I think one of these might be Santa.” She held up the first picture for her mother and father to look at.

“Duckling, that’s Marco,” sighed Emma. “You know that.” 

Rose let out a sigh. “Come on, he makes toys! Doesn’t it make sense!”

“Marco has his hands full with Pinocchio,” Emma said. “He doesn’t have time to make toys for everyone in Storybrooke, much less the whole world.”

Killian had to agree. The formerly wooden boy as a young man was giving Killian’s pirate days a run for their money in terms of debauchery. It was a wonder Marco hadn’t had a heart attack already.

She clicked another button revealing a picture of one of the dwarves.

“Did you just take a picture of every man in town with white or grey hair?” Killian asked frowning, trying to remember just what the hell this dwarf’s name was.

Rose smiled and clicked the forward button again.

“And woman,” said Killian, eyes widening slightly at the picture of Granny his daughter was showing him.

“You know how everyone in this world messes up your stories,” Rose said brightly. “What if they got it wrong by saying Santa is a guy? What if Santa is actually a woman? A woman right in Storybrooke….” She seemed to have been working up to this. Her chest seemed to swell with pride and certainty. She had found Santa. 

“Granny’s is open on Christmas Eve,” interjected Odette. She picked up her mug of hot chocolate and blew on it. “If Granny were Santa, she wouldn’t be able to keep Granny’s open until nine on Christmas Eve, since she’d be busy with her reindeer and sleigh.” She took a sip of the coca, rolling her eyes.

Despite the obvious mockery in her nine-year-old sister’s tone, Rose starting nodding, accepting Odette’s logic as sound. “I’ll have to keep looking,” she said setting the camera on the table with a slight frown. She didn’t remain down for long. In Killian’s experience, it was hard for anyone related to Emma to not be made happy by hot chocolate and cinnamon. Within a few moments, Rose was smiling again, chattering on about making snowflakes in Miss Thumbelina’s Kindergarten class.

  


**Two Days Before Christmas**

 

“It's just one night,” Killian was saying, as he played with the tip jar on the counter. “Not even one night. You'd just be coming to our house, dressing up, surprising Rose while she's sleeping. You'll ask her what it is she wants for Christmas. I would be surprised if it took more than an hour.” Killian looked intently at Smee, hoping his former first mate, hoping that he wouldn’t ask if he was only coming to him because he was the only person he was close to who had a belly that could jiggle like a bowl full of jelly.

Smee looked up from the bins of frozen yogurt and ice cream. “Only if you buy… a thirty dollar gift certificate,” he said.

Resisting the urge to shout at him, Killian instead forced a small laugh and a smirk, “I see I’m not the only one who will always be a pirate.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. It was more than the Jones family would spend on ice cream from the shop in three years, probably, as Emma avoided the place even though the Snow Queen was long gone. Smee pretending to be Santa would make his daughter happy, though, and that was worth the price. 

Letting out a laugh, Smee said, “Aye, Captain.”

 

*******

 

“And you told him eight thirty?” asked Emma. She hadn’t immediately approved of his plan to have Smee play Santa, but after some explaining and spiked eggnog, she decided to go along with it.

Killian glanced at the clock on the wall. Eight fifty-two. “I did. I told him Rose is in bed by seven fifteen, so he should come at eight thirty.” Smee wasn’t known for his punctuality by any means, so Killian couldn’t say that he was worried, but it was annoying.

“Killian,” said Emma, pointing to his phone on the kitchen table. “I think you just got a text.”

He got to his feet and crossed the room to get to the table. Flipping his phone open, he saw the name “Mister Smee” pop up. “It’s him.” He clicked the message and read out loud, “‘Wish you were beer.’ Bloody hell, he’s drunk and it isn’t nine yet.” 

Emma gave a small laugh and took a drink from her eggnog. 

“You can say it,” Killian said closing his phone. 

She smirked. “I’m not going to say it.” She set her glass of eggnog down. “I will say that your idea was good, though you asked the wrong person.” She walked over to Killian and got up on her tiptoes. “I actually think we’ve got the right person to play Santa right here.” 

For a moment, Killian just looked blankly at his wife, not understanding her meaning. Finally, he smiled, catching onto her implication. “An excellent idea, Swan, but don't you think it'll be hard to pass me off as Santa? Not only would I make a much more handsome old man than your typical Clause.” He actually didn't doubt her abilities in the least.

Emma gave him a slow considering eye pan, that Killian knew had little to do with her coming up with a plan -that only made his smirk grow. “I think I'm up to the challenge. I've been practicing.” She twirled her hand and suddenly white smoke surrounded Killian.

As the smoke cleared, Killian looked down to see that Emma had dressed him the typical red velvet and white fur trimmed Santa suit. His boots she had left untouched. “How do I look?” he asked in a voice that was decidedly deeper than his own. 

He wasn't surprised that his wife wasn't able to keep a straight face. He knew he had to look ridiculous disguised as Santa. 

“That bad then?” he said with a small grin. He walked into the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. An older, rounder face looked back at him, complete with rosy, round cheeks, thick white hair and a long white, fluffy beard. A traditional Santa hat topped his head. Killian couldn’t stop himself from laughing as well. “Bloody hell,” he said. He came out of the bathroom. “Just so you know, I have no intention of looking like this when I am old...er.” As he was already a couple of centuries old he really was glad that he didn’t look remotely close to his age, though he was glad that he did get to grow old Emma and see their children grow up. “I do appreciate that you at least spared me Santa’s physique.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Emma said, “There are some things that take more effort to change… height… weight.”

Killian glanced down at his hand, which was now gloved in black leather. His hook, however, was completely unchanged. “Santa with a hook?” he said, holding it up to show Emma.

“You can put on your fake hand before you go into her room. It’s still on the bureau I think.” She sauntered up to up to her husband and kissed him before drawing away, sucking on her upper lip. “That was a little bit weird.”

“Hardly the weirdest thing that has happened to us.”

She shook her head. “No, but kissing Santa is pretty weird.”

“You got used to kissing Captain Hook.”

“This is different, trust me.” She nodded up the stairs, “Your audience awaits.”

With a wink, Killian walked up the staircase using his well practiced silent step. He crept past Henry’s old room, past Odette’s room with its unicorn stickers and drawings she had done. He slipped into the master bedroom and quickly located his fake hand. A few twists of the screw and Killian was wearing two black gloves. He quickly resumed his course to Rose’s room.

He opened the door to his youngest’s room. Now not afraid to make noise to wake her up, he let his boots hit the carpeted floor with a slight thud. His daughter’s dark head didn’t stir. Killian sat down on the pink comforter. “Rose,” he said softly. Nothing. “Rose.” He leaned close to his daughter, placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her shoulder. “Rose.” 

She turned over, rubbing her eyes. After a few moments, her eyes widened. “Santa?” 

“Hello Rose,” he said, glad that she hadn’t recognized him. Emma’s magic was good. “Merry Christmas Eve Eve.”

Rose sat up in bed. “Aren’t you supposed to be working? It’s almost Christmas Eve.”

“I can spare a few minutes. Besides, it’s the elves who make the toys and put them in my sack. I’ve already checked my list twice,” he said, remembering the song. “I came because I heard that you were looking for me here in Storybrooke.”

Eagerly Rose nodded. “It makes sense!”

Killian smiled a little. “It might make sense, but I actually live at the North Pole. Under the ice and snow.” Wasn’t there one movie that had Santa living underground in the North Pole. 

“Oh,” Rose said, her face falling. “You mustn’t have gotten my letter then.” She put her hands in her lap with a sigh, lacing her fingers together. “I wrote your letter saying ‘Storybrooke’, not ‘North Pole.’”

What a perfect interlude into the question he wanted to ask. “No, I didn’t. I got a letter from everyone else, but not you, and I wanted to ask you what it is you really want for Christmas. A bike? A doll?” There was plenty that he and Emma had already bought for their daughter, but Killian wanted to make sure that his daughters’ biggest wishes were under the tree. He had bought a student guitar for Odette which was what she really wanted for Christmas.

Rose grinned and reached over to open up a draw on her bedside table to pull out a picture book. She flipped to a page as if she had spent hours with the book and could tell where the page was by feel alone. She eagerly turned the book around to show him. Killian instantly recognized the book. Rose had had him read it as a bedtime story dozens of times. It was one of the few books that she could actually read (or perhaps she had just memorized the words). “I want a hippocampus!” She pointed to the picture of the mermaid riding a hippocampus under the sea with a lance in hand, the way a knight would ride a horse. 

Killian felt his stomach drop. A hippocampus was the big thing his daughter was dreaming about this year. Without a doubt, Killian knew that he couldn’t possibly get his daughter a hippocampus. Not only did they not live in Storybrooke, rather in the depths of the Neverland sea, Killian knew that the seahorses wouldn’t take so well to a human trying to ride them. They barely even tolerated mermaids attempting to tame them.

“Rose,” he said softly, “a hippocampus wouldn’t make a good pet.”

Gods, he hated the disappointed, crestfallen look that replaced Rose’s smile. “Oh.”

“They live in herds,” he continued, “it would be cruel to have a hippocampus as a pet. Is there anything else you want?”

After a moment’s thought, Rose said, “An archery set.”

Killian gave his daughter a kiss on the top of her head. “That I can definitely do.”

 

**Christmas**

 

After a night of frantic wrapping with Emma and a morning of the girls unwrapping presents in a fury, an afternoon spent with Snow, David, Neal, Regina, Belle, Gideon, Zelena and Robin, Killian was exhausted. It took six trips from the car and back to bring all of the girl’s presents in. Finally, his job was done, and he could sit down on the sofa with a glass of eggnog that was more rum than egg.

“Quite a day we had, ladies,” he said, looking from his daughters to Emma. “A long day. What was your favorite-”

“We missed one!” exclaimed Odette, reaching under the Christmas tree to pull out a box.

Killian frowned slightly. The wrapping paper with little gingerbread men wasn’t one he could recall buying. He certainly hadn’t wrapped anything with it last night. A quick glance in Emma’s direction revealed that she had a similarly confused expression. He and Emma hadn’t had that much eggnog last night to forget a present. “Who’s it for?” he asked, hiding his confusion.

“Rose,” said Odette, frowning before handing it over to her sister who had suddenly gotten excited.

“Open it,” urged Emma. In Storybrooke few things sometimes appeared magically, and it was best not to question it.

Tearing off the wrapping paper, Rose let out a gasp. “Look!” She held out a stuffed blue hippocampus toy. “There’s a note!” She picked the note from the bottom of the box. “It’s written in that swirly stuff. Daddy…” she handed it to him, “read it please.”

Still stunned, Killian had to clear his throat as he set his glass down. He hadn’t even been aware that they made toy hippocampi that were clearly hippocampi and not just ordinary seahorses. “‘Dear Rose,’” he read, “‘Like I said, hippocampi don’t make good pets because they get lonely, but I hope this hippocampus makes you happy.’” Each word he read sent a shiver down his spine. Was he really reading this? “‘Merry Christmas, Santa.’” He looked over at Emma, who was staring wide eyed at the note in his hand.

“So he’s real too?” she finally breathed.

As she took the note back from her father, Rose let out a laugh and said, “Of course he is, silly!” before going off to play with her plush hippocampus.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays (all of them)!


End file.
